(苏锡常镇四市英语调研二)

2014-2015学年度苏锡常镇四市高三教学情况调研(二)

英语2015年5

月

第Ⅰ卷(选择题，共85分)

第一部分：听力(共两节，满分20分)

第一节(共5小题；每小题l分，满分5分)

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听完每段对话后，你有l0秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

1.How does the woman find her class?

A. She thinks it suitable to her.

B. She dislikes it.

C. She has no feeling for it.

2.What is the probable relationship between the speakers?

A. Waiter and customer.

B. Husband and wife.

C. Fellow workers.

3.What does the man ask the woman to do?

A. Come back home.

B. Go to visit him in London.

C. Miss him more.

4.What do we know about the woman?

A. She was absent from school for a week.

B. She will offer the man her physics notes.

C. Physics is one of her worst subjects.

5.What will the man do for the woman?

A. Find her wallet.

B. Record her report.

C. Transfer her call.

第二节(共15小题；每小题l分，满分l5分)

听下面5段对话或独自。每段对话或独自后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。听每段对话或独自前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各小题给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6至7题。

6.What did the man do?

A. He left the door open this morning.

B. He went in and saw what was happening.

C. He followed the woman’s advice.

7.What would the couple most probably do in the end?

A. To ask Mr Robinson to come around.

B. To go to the grocery store and call the police.

C. To go into the house and see what was happening.

听第7段材料，回答第8至10题。

8.Where does this conversation probably take place?

A. In a main hall.

B. In an administration building.

C. On school campus.

9.What are the two speakers talking about?

A. How to reach a place.

B. How to register for the course.

C. How to read the map.

10.Which route do they take at last?

A. Go up the steps and turn left.

B. Go up the steps and turn right.

C. Go straight and then turn right.

听第8段材料，回答第11至13题。

11.Which of the following is the man interested in?

A. Walking along the coast.

B. Watching whales.

C. Visiting lovely little towns.

12.How long will the man stay in the bus for the whole trip?

A. Two days.

B. Four hours.

C. Eight hours.

13.How will the man go for the trip?

A. By coach.

B. By minibus.

C. By train.

听第9段材料，回答第14至16题。

14.What do we know about the man?

A. He wants to change for a new car brand.

B. He will go on more long journeys in the future.

C. He feels his old car’s engine size a bit small.

15.Which engine does the man want this time?

A. A 1.6 litre one.

B. A 2.0 litre one.

C. A 2.4 litre one.

16.What will the woman do next?

A. Drive in a BYD TANG.

B. Show the man a picture of a BYD TANG.

C. Get more detailed information on a BYD TANG.

听第l0段材料，回答第17至20题。

17.What’s the report mainly about?

A. China’s record levels of air pollution.

B. China’s attitude towards air pollution.

C. China’s systems to trade carbon credits.

18.What did China pay more attention to in the past?

A. Economic growth.

B. Environmental protection.

C. Clean technology.

19.Who will receive carbon credits?

A. Officials who hope to control industrial air pollution.

B. Companies that increase greenhouse gas production.

C. Companies that lower greenhouse gas production.

20.When is a national carbon trading program going to be launched?

A. Before 2015.

B. Before 2016.

C. Before 2017.

第二部分：英语知识运用(共两节，满分35分)

第一节：单项填空(共15小题；每小题l分，满分l5分)

21.This course is based on a project, one of ________ aims is to improve th e students’

comprehensive ability in English.

A. whose

B. which

C. its

D. what

22.— Why are you so familiar with my close friend Nipple?

—Yeah, I happen, believe it or not, ________ him in a packed trip.

A. to meet

B. to be meeting

C. to have met

D. to be met

23.— Why do you choose to work in an international travel agency?

— Well, you know, English is my ________. So it is my best choice.

A. talent

B. strength

C. ability

D. skill

24.Local citizens placed flowers at the comer of one street in Hamilton, Canada, ________ the

Canadian soldier, who was killed by a gunman.

A. in favor of

B. in memory of

C. in terms of

D. in spite of

25.Look, ________ beautiful flowers ________ the girl carrying that she becomes the focus in

the room.

A. such; is

B. so; are

C. how; is

D. what; are

26.—Haven’t seen you for ages! Where have you been?

— I ________ in Xinjiang for one year, volunteering services as a doctor.

A. have stayed

B. stay

C. stayed

D. am staying

27.Nowadays mobile internet devices are pushing up demands for online education, which

makes people see it as one of the most ________ new market.

A. demanding

B. confidential

C. promising

D. controversial

28.— They are said to have been familiar with each other.

— But they _________. They were introduced only hours ago.

A. may not have been

B. couldn’t have been

C. mustn’t have been

D. needn’t have been

29.One well of the oil field was still burning with huge fire twisting crazily _____ the night sky.

A. in

B. on

C. against

D. across

30.She is ________ is known as a nosy person—she is always dying to know what’s going on in

others’ lives.

A. what

B. who

C. whom

D. that

31.The measure of a man’s real character is what he ____ if he ____ he would never be found out.

A. would do; knew

B. may do; knew

C. might do; knows

D. should do; had known

32.I felt I would never ________ the shock of his being worked to death.

A. get off

B. get through

C. get by

D. get over

33.We don’t need magic to change the world ________ we carry all the power we need inside

ourselves already: the power to imagine better, said J K Rowling.

A. though

B. unless

C. before

D. when

34.That’s all for today’s programme. Please stay ________ to CCTV International’s Chinese

Channel this time next week.

A. turned

B. tuned

C. toned

D. tended

35.________ you believe him when he said he made it to Eason’s concert! He doesn’t like pop

music at all.

A. Do

B. Did

C. Don’t

D. Didn’t

第二节：完形填空(共20小题；每小题l分，满分20分)

William Wordsworth wrote that “the human min d is capable of excitement without the application of violent stimulants(刺激)”. And it appears that simply reading those words proves his __36__.

Researchers at the University of Liverpool found the works of Shakespeare and Wordsworth and __37__ had a beneficial effect on the mind. It can __38__ the reader’s attention and trigger moments of self-reflection.

Using scanners, they __39__ the brain activity of volunteers as they read pieces of classical English literature both in their __40__ form and in a modern translation.

And, according to the Sunday Telegraph, the experiment showed the more __41__ prose and poetry __42__ far more electrical activity in the brain than the easier versions.

The research also found poetry, __43__, increased activity in the right part of the brain, an area __44__ with “autobiographical (自传式的) memory”, which helped the reader to __45__ on their own experiences. The academics said this meant the __46__ were more useful than self-help books.

The brain __47__ of 30 volunteers were watched in the first part of the research as they read Shakespeare in different __48__.

In one example, volunteers read a line from King Lear, “A father and a gracious aged man: him have you madded”, before reading the __49__: “A father and a gracious aged man: him you have enraged”. Shakespeare’s use of “mad” as a(n) __50__ caused a higher level of brain activity than the straightforward prose.

The next stage of the research was looking at the __51__ to which poetry could affect __52__ and provide therapeutic (治疗的) benefit. Volunteers’ brains were scanned while reading four lines by Wordsworth, and four “translated” lines were also provided.

The first version caused more brain activity, __53__ not only the left part of the brain connected with language, but also the right part that relates to autobiographical memory and emotion.

“Poetry is not just a __54__ of style. It is also about deep versions of experience that __55__ the emotional to the cognitive (认知的),” said Prof Davis, who will present the findin gs at the North of England education conference in Sheffield this week.

36.A. attitude B. point C. mind D. advice

37.A. the like B. the way C. the likely D. the kind

38.A. break B. focus C. catch D. fix

39.A. examined B. monitored C. interrupted D. controlled

40.A. original B. traditional C. conventional D. ancient

41.A. attractive B. beneficial C. challenging D. emotional

42.A. setoff B. put off C. take off D. call off

43.A. for example B. on occasion C. in particular D. in contrast

44.A. concerned B. mixed C. fixed D. conflicted

45.A. reflect B. agree C. depend D. take

46.A. average B. modem C. academic D. classic

47.A. records B. recalls C. responses D. receptions

48.A. moods B. manners C. forms D. types

49.A. shorter B. simpler C. better D. deeper

50.A. adjective B. noun C. adverb D. verb

51.A. amount B. degree C. extension D. scale

52.A. philosophy B. biology C. psychology D. sociology

53.A. waking up B. raising up C. taking up D. making up

54.A. matter B. mark C. manner D. mass

55.A. cater B. add C. prefer D. refer

第三部分：阅读理解(共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

A

The 2014 Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China (RTUGC) is released today by the Center for World-Class Universities at Shanghai Jiao Tong University. RTUGC was the first attempt to compare top research universities in four regions of Great China, namely Mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan.

Tsinghua University in Beijing remains No. 1 in the ranking. National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan overtakes National Taiwan University as the second. The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology climbs to 4th from 7th in 2013. Peking University remains in 5th place as it was in last year. Other Top 10 universities are: The University of Hong Kong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, University of Science and Technology of China, National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan and Zhejiang University. The highest ranked university in Macau is University of Macau (54th).

RTUGC provides insight into the features and relative advantages of top universities in each region. Hong Kong and Macau universities show a higher degree of internationalization. The ranking highlights the fact that Mainland universities are stronger in gross (总的) performance while Hong Kong and Taiwan universities are in the lead in per capita (人均) performance. Tsinghua University in Beijing tops the list of annual research income, and The University of Hong Kong and City University of Hong Kong take the first place on research income per academic staff.

56.We can tell from the RTUGC that ________.

A. Tsinghua University in Beijing ranked the second place in 2013

B. Taiwan has more universities listed in the top 10 than Hong Kong

C. four of the top ten universities in 2014 are from Mainland

D. University of Macau is of a higher rank than Zhejiang University

57. Which of the following is most possibly correct according to the last paragraph?

A

B

B

The latest beliefs are that the main purposes of sleep are to enable the body to rest, allowing time for repairs to take place and for tissue to be regenerated (再生). Lack of sleep, however, can compromise the immune system, cause depression and promote anxiety.

For many people, lack of sleep is rarely anything of choice. Some have problems getting to sleep, others with staying asleep until the morning. Despite popular belief that sleep is one long event, research shows that, in an average night, there are five stages of sleep. In the first light stage, the heart rate and blood pressure go down and the muscles relax. In the next two stages, sleep gets progressively deeper. In stage four, usually reached after an hour, the slumber is so deep that, if

awoken, the sleeper would be confused and disorientated. It is in this state that sleep-walking can occur, lasting no more than 15 minutes. In the fifth stage, the rapid eye movement (REM) stage, the eyes move constantly beneath closed lids as if the sleeper is looking at something. During this stage, the body is almost paralysed (瘫痪的). This REM stage is also the time when we dream.

Sleeping patterns change with age. One theory for the age-related change is that it is due to hormonal changes. The temperature rise occurs at daybreak in the young, but at three or four in the morning in the elderly. Age aside, it is estimated that roughly one in three people suffer some kind of sleep disturbance. Causes can be anything from pregnancy, smoking, and stress to alcohol and heart disease.

Apart from self-help therapy such as regular exercise, there are psychological treatments, including relaxation training and therapy aimed at getting rid of pre-sleep worries and anxieties. Medication is regarded by many as a last option and often takes the form of sleeping pills.

58. What’s the best title of this passage?

A. Lack of Sleep

B. Change of Sleep

C. Patterns of Sleep

D. Benefits of Sleep

59. Which of the following can ca use people’s lack of sleep according to this passage?

A. Their burden from illness and drinking.

B. Their incomplete sleep stages.

C. Their body temperature change with age.

D. Their damaged immune system.

60. Which of the following is true to the passage?

A. Nobody can escape lack of sleep.

B. A sleep-walker usually dreams before the sleepwalking.

C. In the REM stage sleepers can see things around but can’t move the body.

D. Regular exercise can better help improve sleep quality than sleeping pills do.

C

When my friend went to Europe last summer, instead of snapping photographs of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower or Stonehenge, she brought back 32 rolls of ... cathedral ceilings. Ceilings. For the 10 years I’ve known her I had never suspected that she was this passionate about stained glass.

Still one of the best things about such pictures — despite their obvious narrow appeal — is that they can’t help but tell us a great deal about the people who took them.

So I shouldn’t have been surprised when I got the roll of film back from my 5-year-old son’s first camping trip. I opened the envelope, naively expecting to see pictures of the nightly campfire, the sun setting over the forest, and possibly even a deer or two.

Instead, I saw an off-center picture of tennis shoes. Not even his tennis shoes, mind you, but a pair someone had lost and left in the cabin. Mystery shoes. And that’s not all.

As I went through the stack, I found that my son had also taken a picture of his sleeping bag, a penny he found in the gravel next to the car, a leaf, an orange sock, a close-up of his father’s ear, a burned hot dog, his thumb, a piece of gum, and many other similar things.

There was barely one sign of nature in the whole stack. I couldn’t help thinking that if he’d wanted pic tures of assorted junk, it would’ve been cheaper had he spent the weekend in our back-yard.

AT LEAST that is what I thought until I showed the photographs to my ceiling-snapping

friend, the mother of three teenagers, who said simply, “There’s nothing wrong with these.”

But of course, this is just the type of answer you’d expect from someone who photographs ceiling.

Then she told me about the time her daughter went to Yosemite Valley and returned with rolls of photographs of the hotel, restaurant, and gift shop. She also told me about the time her son took his camera to a Major League Baseball game and returned with 24 pictures of cloud formations.

I had a feeling she was just trying to make me feel better.

Then again, to a 5-year-old boy, finding a penny is more exciting than seeing a squirrel. And why would he waste good film on something like, say, some endangered water buffaloes, when he could take a picture of cool tennis shoes? Or his shiny new green sleeping bag?

Face it: Things like beautiful sunsets a nd campfires can’t compare to a bag of extra-large marshmallow.

So I did what any good mother would do: I marked the date on the back of the pictures and slid them into our family vacation photo album — right after the five pages of ice sculptures I took last year on our cruise to the Bahamas.

61. Which of the following proverbs best displays the author’s final thought?

A. Every dog will have its day.

B. Every man has his hobby-horse.

C. If a thing is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.

D. You can take a horse to the water but you cannot make him drink.

62. Who might have taken a picture of the back seat of the family car in his or her trip mentioned in

this passage?

A. The author’s friend.

B. The author’s son.

C. The author.

D. The author’s friend’s daughte r.

63. The author changed her mind on her son’s picture taking because______ .

A. her friend persuaded her to do so

B. her son’s pictures finally struck her

C. she realized the truth by herself inspired by the surrounding examples

D. it suddenly occurred to her that she herself had also taken unique pictures before

64. What can we infer from this passage?

A. Age and gender play an important role in one’s vision of the world.

B. The author’s friend is a better mum in terms of educating children.

C. The author will allow her son more freedom to choose in his future life.

D. The author will take vacation pictures of different kind from her past ones.

D

A few years ago, in one experiment in behavioural psychology, Stanley Milgram of Yale University tested 40 su bjects for their willingness to obey instructions given by a “leader” in a situation in which the subjects might feel a personal dislike of the actions they were called upon to perform. Specifically, Milgram told each volunteer “teacher-subject” that the e xperiment was in the noble cause of education, and was designed to test whether or not punishing pupils for their mistakes would have a positive effect on the pupils’ ability to learn.

The teacher-subjects were placed before a panel of thirty switches with labels ranging from “15 vol t s of electricity (slight shock)” to “450 volts (danger —severe shock)” in steps of 15 volts each. The teacher-subject was told that whenever the pupil gave the wrong answer to a question, a shock was to be administered. The su pposed “pupil” was in reality an actor hired by Milgram to pretend to receive the shocks by giving out cries and screams. Milgram told the teacher-subject to ignore the reactions of the pupil, and to administer whatever level of shock was called for.

As th e experiment unfolded, the “pupil” would deliberately give the wrong answers to questions, thereby bringing on various electrical punishments, even up to the danger level of 300 volts and beyond. Many of the teacher-subjects balked at administering the higher levels of punishment, and turned to Milgram. In these situations, Milgram calmly explained that the teacher-subject was to carry on with the experiment and that it was important for the sake of the experiment that the procedure be followed through to the end. What Milgram was trying to discover was the number of teacher-subjects who would be willing to administer the highest levels of shock, even in the face of strong personal and moral revulsion(反感) against the rules and conditions of the experiment.

Before carrying out the experiment, Milgram explained his idea to a group of 39 psychiatrists and asked them to predict the average percentage of people who would be willing to administer the highest shock level of 450 volts. The overwhelming consensus was that basically all the teacher-subjects would refuse to obey the experimenter. The psychiatrists felt that “most subjects would not go beyond 150 volts” and only a small percentage of about one in 1,000 would give the highest shock of 450 volts.

What were the actual results? Well, over 60 per cent of the teacher-subjects continued to obey Milgram up to the 450-volt limit! In repetitions of the experiment in other countries, the percentage was even higher, reaching 85 per cent in one country. How can we possibly account for this result?

One might firstly argue that there must be some sort of built-in animal aggression instinct(本能) that was activated by the experiment. A modem sociobiologist might even go so far as to claim that this aggressive instinct was of survival value to our ancestors in their struggle against the hardships of life on the plains and in the caves, finally finding its way into our genetic make-up.

Another explanation is to see the teacher-subjects’ actions as a result of the social context in which the experiment was carried out. As Milgram himself pointed out, “Most subjects in the experiment see their behaviour in a larger context that is good and useful to society — the pursuit of scientific troth. The psychological laboratory has a strong claim to legitimacy (合法性) and gains trust and confidence in those who perform there. An action such as shocking a victim, which in isolation (单独看来) appears evil, acquires a completely different meaning when placed in this setting”.

Here we have two different explanations. The problem for us is to sort out which of these two polar explanations is more reasonable. This is the problem of modern sociobiology — to discover how hard-wired genetic programming decides the interaction of animals and humans with their environment, that is, their behaviour. Put another way, sociobiology is concerned with explaining the biological basis of all behaviour.

65. Why did Milgram do the experiment?

A. To discover people’s willingness for orders from leaders.

B. To display the power of punishment on ability to learn.

C. To test people’s willingness to sacrifice for science.

D. To explore the biological basis of social behavior.

66. Which of the following is right about the experiment?

A. The actor’s performance was vital to its success.

B. Its subjects were informed of its real purpose beforehand.

C. The electrical shock made the “pupil” give more wrong answers.

D. Its subjects were convinced of the effects of punishment on ability to learn.

67. What does the underlined phras e “balked at” most probably mean?

A. commented on

B. hesitated in

C. got rid of

D. looked down upon

68. Before the experiment took place the psychiatrists _________ .

A. believed that a shock of 150 volts was unbearable

B. failed to agree on how the teacher-subjects would respond to instructions

C. under-predicted the teacher-subjects’ willingness to follow experimental procedure

D. thought that many of the teacher-subjects would administer a shock of 450 volts

69. Which of the following is mentioned as one possible factor that explains the teacher-subjects’

behaviour?

A. Economic factor.

B. Biological factor.

C. Cultural factor.

D. Historical factor.

70. What’s the author’s purpose with this article?

A. To introduce a problem sociobiology deals with.

B. To explain a scientific phenomenon.

C. To report an experiment that focuses on education.

D. To argue against a scientific view.

第Ⅱ卷(非选择题，共两大题，35分)

第四部分：任务型阅读(共10小题；每小题l分，满分l0分)

In Greek mythology, the Trojan(特洛伊) War was started against the city of Troy by the Greeks after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has appeared in many works of Greek literature, most notably through Homers (荷马) Iliad. The Iliad relates a part of the last year of the siege (包围) of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war’s heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems(史诗), which have survived through fragments. The war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, after

Eris, the goddess of strife and discord (不和谐), gave them a golden apple marked “for the fairest”. Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the “fairest”, should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen’s husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Greek troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris’ insult. After the deaths of many heroes the city fell to the ruse (策略) of the Trojan Horse. The Greeks slaughtered (大屠杀) the Trojans and desecrated (亵渎) the temples, thus earning the gods’ great anger. Few of the Greeks returned safely to their homes.

The ancient Greeks treated the Trojan War as an historical event which had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and believed that Troy was located in modern-day Turkey near the Dardanelles. As of the mid-19th century, both the war and the city were widely believed to be non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was at Hissarlik; this claim is now accepted by most scholars. They believe that there is a historical core to the tale. However, whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War is still an open question.

第五部分：书面表达(满分25分)

最近，教育部出台新规，允许在校大学生休学一年进行创业，引发了广泛热议。为此，你们学校将以此为话题组织英文演讲比赛。请你准备一篇演讲稿，字数150左右，参与比赛。你的演讲要包括以下几个方面：

1、你对此新规的看法；

2、进入大学的你是否会休学创业；

3、阐述上述两点时必须各提供至少2条理由或论据加以支撑。

【写作要求】

1．内容完整，语言规范，语篇连贯，词数适当；

2．文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。

3．开头已给出，不计入总词数。

Good morning, everyone! I would like to begin my speech with my view on the policy itself.

__________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________

高三英语周练三十二答题纸2015/05/08

By Mr. Chen

班级姓名学号

第四部分：任务型阅读（共10小题，每小题1分，满分10分）

71、___________________________

72、___________________________

73、___________________________

74、___________________________

75、___________________________

76、___________________________

77、___________________________

78、___________________________

79、___________________________

80、___________________________

第五部分：书面表达（满分25分）

Good morning, everyone! I would like to begin my speech with my view on the policy itself. _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________

高三英语周练三十二参考答案

听力：AABAC CBCAA BCBCB CCACC

单选：ACBBA CCBCA ADDBC

完形：BACBA CACAA DCCBD BCAAB

阅读：CAAAD BBCCD ABCBA

任务型：

71. Appearance 72. describing 73. survival 74. caused 75. Paris 76. insulted 77. occupied (took, conquered) 78. Historical 79. happening 80. follow(accept)

书面表达：

Good morning, everyone! I would like to begin my speech with my view on the policy itself.

Personally, I applaud for this policy. As we all know, many coll ege graduates can’t find a job upon their graduation. Starting a business, particularly before graduating, is a good way to ease the tension. Moreover, college students are the most energetic group, so encouraging them to be engaged in business early will benefit our nation with more innovation.

Nevertheless, beneficial as the policy is, not all the students prefer to doing business, me included. Money is the first problem to a poor student. It’s impossible to run a business without fund. Secondly, lack of social experience will surely make my business end in failure if started. Most importantly, I am not keen on business at all. A stable job and easy life is my biggest ambition.

To sum up, I wholeheartedly approve of the new regulation but won’t choos e to establish my own business at college.

听力原文：

（Text 1）

M: Do you think you're in the right class, Anne?

W: Oh, yes. I think my class is just right for me.

（Text 2）

M: What would you like? Pizza, sandwich, hot dog, fried rice. We do everything …

W: Oh, something easy. Takeaway fried rice sounds good.

（Text 3）

W: It's been nice having you back home this weekend, David.

M: I miss you, too. You should come to London some weekend and visit me.

（Text 4）

W: Can you help me study for the physics test? I've missed the last week of school because I was sick.

M: Well, you can look at my notes, but they might not do you much good. Physics is my worst subject.

（Text 5）

M: Good evening. City Police Station. Can I help you?

W: Oh hello, I'd like to report a stolen wallet, please.

M: Just a minute and I'll put you through.

（Text 6）

M: Did you leave the door open this morning?

W: Are you crazy? Of course not!

M: Let's go in and see what's happening.

W: There may be thieves in the house. Let's get out of here.

M: Maybe we should ask Mr Robinson next door to come with us.

W: No. Let's get out of here.

M: Where should we go?

W: Let's go to the corner grocery store and call the police.

M: Ok.

（Text 7）

W: Excuse me. Can you help me? I am looking for the Main Hall.

M: Maybe I can. Actually I'm looking for the Main Hall, too. I think it's in the administration building. Are you a new student?

W: Yes, I am.

M: I thought you looked as lost as me. I'm trying to find the administration building, too, so that I can register for my course. But I don't seem to be having much luck.

W: Well, look, according to this map of the campus here, you go straight up the steps, turn left and the building is on the right. OK, let's see if we can find it.

M: Oh, this looks right. Oh, yeah, it must be. Look, there are hundreds of other people here!

（Text 8）

W: Good afternoon, Dreamtime Travel. How can I help you?

M: Oh hello. I'm interested in the holidays you offer along the coast near here.

W: Yes. We operate several tours up the coast. Where in particular do you want to go?

M: Well, I like the sound of the holiday that mentioned whales. Was it whale watching?

W: Oh, that's our whale watch experience. It's very popular and it's based in a lovely little town with nice beaches.

M: Oh right, and how long does it last?

W: It's two days–that includes four hours' travel time each way from here.

M: Good, I don't want to be away any longer than that. So is that by coach or by train?

W: By coach of course. Oh, no … sorry, actually it's by minibus this time. We like to keep these tours small and personal so we don't take too many people. In fact, we only take up to fifteen people on this tour.

M: Oh, that sounds fine to me.

（Text 9）

W: Good morning, please take a seat. How can I help you?

M: Well. I'm thinking of buying a new car and I'd like some advice.

W: Sure, yes. Have you got any particular model in mind?

M: I'm interested in a BYD. I've had one before and liked it. But I haven't really made up my mind. W: Sure. We've got various models. Umm, right. What about the engine size? Any ideas?

M: The one I've got at the moment is a 1.6 litre engine but I find it a bit slow on long journeys. I'd like a bit more power this time … A 2.0 should do. I don't think I need a 2.4 or anything.

W: Right. Well I think the model you're looking at is the BYD TANG. Here's the picture.

M: Oh, yes … Have you got one in?

W: Yes. I'll take you to have a look at it in a minute. I'll just get a few more details for you.

（Text 10）

Welcome to the Economics Report in Special English. China has been struggling to deal with record levels of smog over Beijing. Recently, officials in several Chinese cities announced plans to trade carbon credits as a way to reduce air pollution. For many years, China considered economic growth more important than the environment. The nation remains hungry for energy. But it has also become one of the world's biggest producers of carbon gases. Beijing's smoggy days have made international news.

Smog has been a concern in the city for years. Pollution from coal-burning power centers and factories is a big part of the problem. Now, officials hope to control industrial air pollution by creating systems to trade carbon credits. The trading systems, or platforms, would enable companies to receive credits for lowering greenhouse gas production. The credits can then be traded. The goal of these market-based platforms is to get businesses to invest in clean technology. Markets for carbon credits are expected to open before 2015 in seven cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin. Officials say the government has decided to start with pilot programs in 2016 because carbon trading is something new. China wants to launch a national carbon trading program by 2017. Still, public pressure continues building on the government to find an answer to thick air pollution. Wu Changhua is with The Climate Group. She says the Chinese people are looking at more than jobs. They want a better environment too.

For VOA Learning English, I'm Alex Villarreal.